The Season of Too Much of a Good Thing

If something is good, how could there possibly be too much of it? As wonderful as is the Christmas season, it presents unique opportunities for overdoing it. Too much eating, too much spending, too many activities, not enough sleep. Fatigue takes its toll on the body. December and January are major months of illness for many, as the body simply tires out from all the demands we place on it.

If we stop and do an inventory of our activities, many of us would say, “But wait a minute. Everything I am doing is for the good of others. In fact, all my activities for the past few weeks have been Christian activities. How can that be bad?”

There is a force at work in the world that works against God. Some of us call that force, satan. Would it surprise you to know that satan does not care how many Christian activities you get involved in? He probably chuckles with glee and thinks, “Great! The more the merrier!” He does not care what you do, as long as you end up tired, sick and broke. He’s willing to take a few short term losses in order to score big in the long run.

Why do we not hear of church groups who came to witness the birthday of the King? They may have all been out doing so much good they missed the Ultimate Good under their noses. They may have been so focused on all their earth activities that it never crossed their minds to look up.

Tonight, I am looking at a ground of white. Outside there is a mixture of snow and ice … and even the creatures seemed to have taken shelter. It is silent and still. How like God to gently interrupt our plans and remind us that He is here!

In 1818, a priest named Father Joseph Mohr was preparing for the midnight service at the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. The midnight service had been planned with carefully selected music as part of the celebration. However, all those plans were shattered when the organ in the new church broke.

Father Mohr was deeply disturbed when he realized they would not be able to sing in celebration of Christ’s birth. And then it occurred to him that he could write a song that did not require organ accompaniment. He wrote a simple, humble song for guitar accompaniment. On that night when all the church activities stopped, God sang … and the song has been heard around the world for many years now. Father Mohr wrote “Silent Night.”

Take some time out of the things you have scheduled this season. Sit at the window, watch the stars and be quiet. The whole earth is full of His Glory! After you take it all in, you may want to sing a few stanzas of Silent Night in celebration of He Who really wrote the song.

Be still and know that I am God!

Psalm 46:10

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My Mouth; it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.